Due to the ongoing political crisis in Bangladesh, India has decided to suspend the planned extension of the diesel pipeline deeper into Bangladesh.
The project, known as the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP), was initially proposed to extend beyond Parbatipur in Bangladesh, reports the Live Mint.
However, the Indian government has now opted to pause the expansion of this pipeline. Currently, the pipeline terminates at Parbatipur.
The report states that the 131-kilometre-long pipeline began diesel imports in March 2023. The pipeline, which stretches from Siliguri in West Bengal to an oil depot in Parbatipur, Dinajpur district, Bangladesh, was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the then-Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina.
This joint pipeline has the capacity to transport one million metric tons of high-speed diesel (HSD) annually from India to Bangladesh, with the fuel currently being supplied to seven districts in northern Bangladesh.
According to the Live mint, reports that India's plans to transport diesel to neighbouring Bangladesh via the IBFP have been significantly impacted by the current political crisis in Bangladesh.
Three individuals familiar with the matter have indicated that while the project has been functioning well and has largely been successful, the expansion of the pipeline into other areas of Bangladesh was under consideration.
However, due to the somewhat unstable political situation in Bangladesh, India now wishes to wait for further consideration and discussion on the matter. No specific timeline has been provided for this decision.
It is noteworthy that this pipeline is the first cross-border energy pipeline constructed between these two neighbouring countries. The construction of the pipeline began in 2020, with a total project cost of ₹520 crore, of which the Indian government contributed ₹337 crore.
